KU is starting to get mentioned, if only peripherally, in the ncaa scandal--

Gatto blossomed at Adidas, traveling the world with Kobe Bryant, befriending Kansas’ Bill Self and Mississippi State’s Ben Howland. In nearly a quarter-century at Adidas, he rose to become the Director of Global Sports Marketing

THE TWO MEN WHO WILL BRING DOWN COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Peter ThamelYahoo Sports

The two men who could control the fate of college basketball combine for nearly 40 years of experience in the sneaker industry, prominent executives who kept intentionally low profiles. One is the son of a retired judge, and the other the son of a legendary New York City high school coach. Both are married, fathers and had clean-cut reputations that belie the federal charges of wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy that have them each facing a maximum 80 years in prison.

Adidas executives Merl Code and Jim Gatto were widely known in the basketball industry as benevolent dealmakers, behind-the-scenes shakers and confidants of the sport’s boldfaced names. Until this week, they were largely anonymous outside the tight-knit basketball scene. That changed when Code and Gatto became two of the 10 basketball industry figures arrested in a federal probe that’s shaken the sport to its core. Legal experts predict they’ll be of particular interest of federal investigators trying to unwind the complicated financial web around college basketball that’s led to charges that include bribery and conspiracy.

“In a white-collar investigation, the executives at any company, including the shoe companies, are going to be the top targets,” said Stephen L. Hill Jr., a partner at Dentons in Kansas City and former U.S. Attorney who prosecuted the Myron Piggie case. “To get credit for cooperation, they’re going to have to provide something of value to figuring out the scheme and who was involved. Based on the complaints, the government would be interested in coaches, players, administration officials and other executives at their company.”

That potentially leaves Gatto and Code with decisions that could significantly alter the landscape of the sport. Of the 10 figures in the basketball industry, none figure to have more wide-ranging information of the inner-workings of the black market of agents, shoe companies, financial advisers and college basketball recruiting than Code and Gatto.

Code, 43, worked at Nike for more than a decade before going to Adidas in 2015. At Nike he rose to a powerful position atop the company’s signature Elite Youth Basketball League grassroots program, which annually showcases the country’s top high school prospects. Gatto, 47, worked at Adidas for 24 years after landing with the company, in part, thanks to his father’s connections. Both have worked closely with most of the country’s high-profile coaches, which has created an undercurrent of uncertainty around the sport.

“The coaches who’ve dealt with the sneaker companies are sweating bullets and having sleepless nights,” said Fran Fraschilla, an ESPN analyst who coached at St. John’s and New Mexico. “If I’m Jim Gatto and Merl Code, I like some of these coaches, but I love my family more.”

And that leaves a series of compelling questions: Who are the two executives thrust from obscurity that could hold the future of the sport in their hands? And could their knowledge of the basketball scene lead to more firings, charges and chaos?

*****

Jim Gatto lives in a home valued at more than a half-million dollars in tony Wilsonville, Oregon, replete with a stone arch at the front door. It’s a long way from his blue-collar New York upbringing, as his father, also known as Jim Gatto, worked as an usher at New York Mets games to supplement his income. Gatto Sr. is the archetype of the throwback New York City coaches from the past generation, winning more than 500 games at St. John’s Prep in Queens and getting elected into the Catholic High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame. His career began in 1970, when the school was known as Mater Christi, and lasted long enough that he coached Taliek Brown, who won a national title as UConn’s point guard in 2004.

The elder Gatto’s coaching success led to his son’s career path, as Gatto Sr. coached in the Roundball Classic, a high school all-star game that helped launch the career of long-time sneaker executive Sonny Vaccaro. As Vaccaro recalls, Gatto Sr. called him for a favor to hire his son at an entry-level position. Gatto blossomed at Adidas, traveling the world with Kobe Bryant, befriending Kansas’ Bill Self and Mississippi State’s Ben Howland and even participating in an ill-fated task force to try clean up basketball. In nearly a quarter-century at Adidas, he rose to become the Director of Global Sports Marketing.

“He came from being in the mail room,” Vaccaro said, “to running William Morris.”

One relationship that may end up under scrutiny is Gatto’s friendship with NBA agent Andy Miller, a close ally in his rise through the profession. Miller’s office was reportedly raided by the feds soon after the announcement of the 10 arrests on Tuesday. (Multiple Miller clients ended up with Adidas contracts over the years, including hallmark clients Kevin Garnett, Chauncey Billups and Kristaps Porzingis.)

Those who know Gatto well are stunned by his arrest and the potentially precarious position of what information he could offer authorities. They knew Gatto navigated in the gray underworld of grassroots basketball, but his reputation was more as an affable and shrewd businessman than a street hustler. Vaccaro said if he’d been called about Gatto last week, he’d have described him as an “altar boy.” Added Fraschilla: “It’s incomprehensible that the Jim Gatto I know is stuck in the middle of this. Knowing the shoe/agent/recruiting business how I know it, he got sucked in. He got sucked into a world he wasn’t accustomed to.”

Gatto is married and has two children, 12 and 16. Facing up to 80 years of prison time, the question lingers as to whether he’ll cooperate with the federal government as it continues its investigation. “The isn’t ‘The Wire,'” said a grassroots basketball official who has known Gatto for years. “Jim Gatto is a businessman. The thought of going to jail is an abstract idea.”

*****

Any mention of Code to those who’ve known him during his tenure at Nike and Adidas over the years usually references his father almost immediately. Merl F. Code is a staple of the Greenville, South Carolina, political and philanthropic scene, having served as a judge, lawyer and on more than a dozen community boards. Merl Code’s grandfather played baseball in the Negro Leagues in the 1930s and 1940s.

“There’s not a more respected family in the state of South Carolina than the Code family,” said Tennessee coach Rick Barnes, who coached Merl Code at Clemson in the mid-1990s. “I’m sure they are crushed right now.”

Merl Code graduated from Clemson and got a tryout with the Denver Nuggets in 1997. He bounced around the basketball world before landing with Nike, as his first publicized job with them came in 2003. Code began servicing Nike athletes in the Midwest, getting to know the professional side of the business. He eventually worked his way up the ranks of the grassroots, running Nike’s Skills Academies, top camps and finally the prestigious EYBL.

“He was in charge of the budgets, picking the teams and the relationships with the college coaches,” said a person familiar with Code. “He ran everything and nothing happened without him knowing. That’s why most people are scared.”

What gives a person like Code so much power is key to understanding the complexity of this case. Code ultimately oversaw what teams got invited to Nike’s top events, players selected to all-star games and allotting money to the high-profile AAU teams. His relationships and intimate familiarity with players and their ecosystems helped ingratiate him with high-profile Nike schools like Kentucky, Duke and Arizona.

“His job was to go out and get the best talent,” said Corey Evans, a recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. “He was the connector between agents and players, college programs and players and college programs and agents. He’s the ultimate middle-man.”

Code kept a defiantly low profile in his high-powered position, as his name didn’t appear publicly affiliated with Nike from 2005-12, according to a LexisNexis search. When this reporter approached Code to introduce himself at a Nike AAU event in 2012, Code declined to talk. (Code is married, lives in South Carolina and has a young son from a prior relationship who lives in Houston.)

Code’s firing from Nike received little publicity, as did his hiring by Adidas in 2015. Code’s departure is regarded around the industry as contentious, as he finds himself in an uncomfortable spotlight.

“It was not the cleanest of breakups,” Evans said. “Whenever he gets talking, he may get talking. Nike guys are really nervous about this. They’re nervous about [what] Merl Code may have to say [about] his prior establishment.”

The variety of top programs, agents and players he’s worked with make Code a prime potential federal witness.

“He may be more valuable than Gatto in a way,” said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond. “He has two of the biggest players and information on them. He’s seen them both from the inside.”

*****If this whole investigation ever gets made into a movie, the dialogue between Code and Gatto can be taken directly from the wiretaps to the big screen. They seem to be auditioning for this generation’s “Blue Chips,” as they discuss, in various conversations, bidding for players and schemes to launder money.

Code: “You guys are being introduced to … how stuff happens with kids and getting into particular schools and so this is kind of one of those instances where we needed to step up and help one of our flagship schools in [Louisville].”

In another conversation:

Gatto: “Try and get it to what we did with [Brian Bowen], a [$100,000].”

Code:” [I’m not sure] they’ll take that much less, but if I can take it down at least twenty five.”

And another:

Code: Requesting a payment made in cash for “for cleanliness and lack of questions.”

And so the question lingers on: Just how much damage, both in terms of legalities and NCAA rules, could an honest assessment of the landscape from both Gatto and Code bring? The way they talk in the federal documents, these do not sound like the first deals they’ve brokered.

In a searing scandal that’s pierced the soul of the sport of college basketball, Code and Gatto have the potential to provide information that can upend the establishment. There’s likely no major program they haven’t had exposure to or could deliver information about.

“I think the dominoes will fall incredibly quickly,” said a Power Five athletic director, who asked to remain anonymous. “I think some people with all the information have already flipped or will flip. Then it’s relatively easy.”

At least one of the assistant coaches charged is adamant he will not cooperate with authorities, a source with knowledge of his legal strategy told Yahoo Sports. But sleeping has still been a challenge for head coaches and assistants around the country. Two of the basketball industry’s consummate insiders are facing a maximum of a combined 160 years in prison. The realistic sentencing targets for Gatto and Code aren’t known. Prosecutors say that both having money-laundering charges, which typically comes with stiff penalties, is a big leverage chip for the feds.

The answer on whether to provide the federal government a more detailed playbook about the inner-workings of the sport appears obvious.

“If I get an opportunity to get a more lenient sentence in order to tell what I know, I’m going to do it,” Fraschilla said. “We’re not talking about bringing down the mob or starting a war with North Korea. We’re talking about college basketball

Edited by jahawker2004 (09/30/1708:22 PM)

_________________________"Those Places (UNC, UCLA) Are Great, But There's No Place Like Kansas"---Larry Brown to Bill Self.

KU and Louisville are the two schools with the biggest adidas contracts.

From the wiretaps--the smoking gun against Louisville:

Code: “You guys are being introduced to … how stuff happens with kids and getting into particular schools and so this is kind of one of those instances where we needed to step up and help one of our flagship schools in [Louisville].”

In another conversation:

Gatto: “Try and get it to what we did with [Brian Bowen], a [$100,000].”

Code:” [I’m not sure] they’ll take that much less, but if I can take it down at least twenty five.”

And another:

Code: Requesting a payment made in cash for “for cleanliness and lack of questions.”

_________________________"Those Places (UNC, UCLA) Are Great, But There's No Place Like Kansas"---Larry Brown to Bill Self.

What We Know About Each School Implicated in the FBI’s College Hoops Investigation

DANIEL RAPAPORTSports IllustratedThe college basketball world was turned upside down on Tuesday when the the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York laid out findings from an F.B.I. investigation that uncovered mass corruption, bribery and wire fraud involving some of the sport's top programs.

Four assistant coaches were charged with varying violations: Tony Bland of USC, Emanuel "Book" Richardson of Arizona, Lamont Evans of Oklahoma State and Chuck Person of Auburn. No universities nor head coaches have been charged, but the investigation is ongoing, and multiple schools (most notably, Louisville) have been implicated even if no individual from the program has been charged...yet.

It’s a massive story. The U.S. House’s Energy and Commerce Committee has even requested a briefing on the matter.

First, let's outline who the notable non-coaches named in the various suits are. Each of the following men are facing federal charges relating to bribery.

​The scandal has received an overwhelming amount of coverage, with every piece focusing on a different aspect of the investigation. The legal documents outlining the situation are filled with legal jargon. This is an attempt to compile the most important information pertaining to each university and present it in a digestible way.

LOUISVILLELouisville finds itself engulfed in yet another embarrassing scandal—this one so salacious that even noted escape artist Rick Pitino couldn't pull another Houdini—but no coach from the university has been charged yet.

Louisville is referred to in the U.S. vs. James Gatto complaint, though no individual working at Louisville is named.

What the complaint says

"In or around May of 2017, at the request of at least one coach from University-6, DAWKINS, James Gatto, a/k/a "Jim," MERL CODE, MUNISH SOOD, the defendants and other agreed to funnel $100,000 (payable in four installments) from Company-1 to the family of Player-10. Shortly after the agreement with the family of Player-10 was reached in late May and early June, Player-10 publicly committed to University-6."

What it alleges

Gatto, Code and Sood paid $100,000 at the request of Louisville assistant to Bowen to get him to commit to Louisville, have Sood manage his money and sign with Adidas upon entering the NBA. Bowen committed to Louisville and has been suspended indefinitely.

University-6 is Louisville. We know this because it's described in the suit as a public research university in Kentucky with approximately 22,640 students and 21 varsity sports teams; Louisville's official enrollment is 22,640 and it fields, you guessed it, 21 varsity sports teams. Player-10 appears to be Brian Bowen, as he's the only guy to commit to Louisville in that late-May, early-June time frame (plus, he's the type of five star who could cost $100,000). Plus, the school has indefinitely suspended him from basketball activities.

Coach's response

Rick Pitino put out the following statement, which essentially denied any wrongdoing: "These allegations come as a complete shock to me. I agree with the U.S. Attorneys (sic) Office that these third-party schemes, initiated by a few bad actors, operated to commit a fraud on the impacted universities and their basketball programs, including the University of Louisville. Our fans and supporters deserve better and I am committed to taking whatever steps are needed to ensure those responsible are held accountable."

Pitino is also accused of calling Gatto after being told Bowen needed more money. The third of three calls between Pitino and Gatto came two days before Bowen’s commitment. He was effectively fired on Wednesday.

Two five-star recruits—Anfernee Simons and Courtney Ramey—have decommitted from Louisville as a result of the scandal.

ARIZONAWhat the complaint says

"(Undercover Agent)-1, working with CHRISTIAN DAWKINS and MUNISH SOOD, the defendants, paid and/or facilitated the payment of $20,000 in bribes to Emanuel Richardson, a/k/a 'Book,' the defendant, some of which RICHARDSON appears to have kept for himself and some of which he appears to have provided to at least one prospective high school basketball player ('Player-5') in order to recruit Player-5 to play for University-4. In exchange for the bribe payments, RICHARDSON agreed to use his influence over the student-athletes he coached to pressure them to retain DAWKINS and SOOD as a manager and financial advisor, respectively."

What it alleges

A government agent, in conjunction with Dawkins and Sood, paid Arizona assistant Book Richardson $20,000 so he'd use his clout with Arizona players to sway them toward Dawkins' and Soot's respective businesses. Richardson kept some of the money and gave some to a recruit, believed to be incoming freshman Jahvon Quinerly.

It's also important to note the Adidas officials—Gatto and Code—aren't implicated in this part of the scheme, as Arizona is a Nike school.

But that's not the only nefarious action Arizona is accused of participating in. There's something really nasty hidden in a part of a complaint that addresses allegations about Miami (we'll get to them later).

What the complaint says

"CODE discussed with GATTO... the involvement of CHRISTIAN DAWKINS and JONATHAN BRAD AUGUSTINE, the defendants, in the scheme to facilitate payments to Player-12 in order to secure Player12's commitment to attend University-7. CODE explained that another Division I university ('University-4') was offering Player-12 $150,000 'and we're trying to keep him from going to one of their schools.'"

What it alleges

Code is trying to get Gatto to agree to pay "Player-12" $150,000 to commit to Miami instead of Arizona.

We know "University-4" is Arizona because it's described in a separate complaint as the school that employs Book Richardson. We also know what Miami is University-7 because the school has confirmed it is being investigated and University-7 is the only school named in the case that fits Miami's description.

Player-12 is believed to be five-star recruit Nassir Little, who plays for Augustine's AAU team—Augustine is accused of funneling Player-12 the money— and is being targeted by Arizona and Miami.

Little has yet to announce his commitment, but he mysteriously tweeted that he's reopening his recruitment (when was it closed?). He has since deleted the tweet.

Little's family denies asking for or being offered any money for his commitment.

As of Thursday, Arizona is "initiating the dismissal process against" Richardson. He has been charged with conspiracy to commit bribery, solicitation of bribes by an agent of a federally funded organization, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, wire fraud conspiracy and travel act conspiracy. He's currently out on $50,000 bail.

MIAMILike Louisville, no individual at Miami has been charged, but the school is referenced in the complaint against Gatto, Code, Dawkins and Augustine.

What the complaint says

"JAMES GATTO, a/k/a "Jim," MERL CODE, CHRISTIAN DAWKINS, and JONATHAN BRAD AUGUSTINE, the defendants, and other known and unknown, conspired to illicitly funnel approximately $150,000 from Company-1 to Player-12, another top high school basketball player expected to graduate in 2018, to assist one or more coaches at University-7 in securing Player-12's commitment to play at University-7, and to further ensure that Player-12 ultimately signed with DAWKINS and with Company-1 upon entering a professional league."

What it alleges

Gatto, Code, Dawkins and Augustine funneled $150,000 to a player, likely Nassir Little, to get him to commit to Miami, then sign with Adidas and Dawkins' agency once turning pro. This is the scheme described above involving Miami and Arizona.

We know University-7 is Miami because it's described as a private D-I university in Florida with 16,000 students, and Miami is the only school that fits that description.

Coach's response

Larranaga's attorney released the following statement, which claims Larranaga does not know of any wrongdoing nor whom the Miami coach referenced is. “Please be assured that our beloved coach is unaware of any impropriety on the part of UM basketball and does not know the identity of [the] unnamed, unidentified ‘Coach-3.’ He looks forward to leading the Hurricanes to continued success.”

USCWhat the complaint says

"CHRISTIAN DAWKINS, and MUNISH SOOD, the defendants, working with (Undercover Agent)-1, paid and/or facilitated the payment of at least $13,000 in bribes to ANTHONY BLAND, a/k/a "Tony," the defendant, in exchange for BLAND's agreement to exert his official influence over certain student-athletes that BLAND coached to retain DAWKINS and SOOD's business management and/or financial advisory services once those players entered the NBA. In addition, and as part of the scheme, DAWKINS and SOOD paid and/or facilitated the payment of an additional $9,000 directly to the families of two student-athletes at University-5 at BLAND's direction.

What it alleges

Dawkins and Sood paid Bland $13,000 to get him to nudge USC players to their respective businesses. The $9,000 went to two families—one incoming freshman and one rising junior—for similar reasons. Bland was arrested and subsequently released on $100,000 bail.

We know "University-5" is USC because it's described as a private D-I university with over 40,000 students, and it's the school Bland is recruiting for.

Coach's response

Andy Enfield has not made a statement yet.

OKLAHOMA STATEWhat the complaint says

"MUNISH SOOD, the defendant, and (Cooperating Witness)-1 — having learned from CHRISTIAN DAWKINS, the defendant, that DAWKINS prevoiusly had paid bribes to LAMONT EVANS, the defendant, in order to obtain access to student-athletes coached by EVANS — paid at least $22,000 in bribes to EVANS in exchange for EVANS' agreement to exert his official influence over certain student athletes, first at University-2 and then at University-3, to retain SOOD and (Cooperating Witness)-1's business advisory and/or investment management services once those players entered the NBA."

What it alleges

Before coming to Oklahoma State, Evans was an assistant to Frank Martin at South Carolina for four seasons. He received a total of at least $22,000 bribes from Sood and the cooperating witness. He was paid roughly $2,000 per month. The bribes started while he was at South Carolina and continued after he joined Brad Underwood's staff at Oklahoma State before the 2016 season.

One Oklahoma State player is identified, "Player-4," who Evans described as "the motherf----- that's scoring 22 points a game."

We know "University-3" is Oklahoma State because its description as a public research university with 25,000 students matches Oklahoma State, and it's where Evans was employed.

Evans, who was arrested and released on $50,000 bond, was fired on Thursday.

Coach's response

Underwood has since left Oklahoma State for the Illinois job. He released the following statement via the Illinois Athletic Department: “Like many in our industry, I was surprised by yesterday’s events. From our first conversation in March, athletic director Josh Whitman and I have shared a mutual commitment to Illinois men’s basketball upholding the highest standards of integrity. I appreciate his ongoing encouragement and support. I stand ready to assist as needed to protect the game of basketball, and those who play it, on our campus and elsewhere.”

Mike Boynton is now the head coach at Oklahoma State, and he has yet to comment publicly.

SOUTH CAROLINANo individual from South Carolina has been charged, and the university is mentioned only in connection with Evans.

AUBURNWhat the complaint says

"(RASHAN) MICHEL told (Cooperating Witness-1) that CHUCK CONNORS PERSON, the defendant, needed money, and exchange for such money, PERSON would agree to steer student-athletes on University-1's Division I men's basketball team to retain (Cooperating Witness)-1 's financial advisory and business management services, as well as MICHEL's services as a suit maker."

What it alleges

Person received bribes from Michel, the owner of the clothing label. In exchange, Person would tell his players to use the Cooperating Witness as a financial advisor and buy suits from Michel. The document features multiple anecdotes in which Person negotiates for more money; he brags about the quality of players coming to Auburn and about his level of influence over them. In total, Person was paid $91,500 over a 10-month period.

We know "University-1" is Auburn because of its description as a public research university located in Alabama. It is also referred to as Person's alma mater, and Person went to Auburn.

Michel was arrested on six federal charges of fraud and conspiracy. He has been suspended indefinitely without pay by Auburn.

Coach's response

Bruce Pearl has not yet commented publicly, but is expected to meet with reporters Friday. Auburn also lost a commitment from five-star recruit E.J. Montgomery.

Edited by jahawker2004 (09/30/1707:38 PM)

_________________________"Those Places (UNC, UCLA) Are Great, But There's No Place Like Kansas"---Larry Brown to Bill Self.

One could only hope that Self will get ousted because of this. It is pretty clear that the ruralite love affair with this loser is not going to subside anytime soon.

Ousted for not doing anything wrong? Just because we use Adidas doesn't mean we cheat.

lol

You are really good at making up your own stories in your head. Read what I wrote again and try to keep the replays of catching that frog by the railroad tracks when you were 7 silent for a few minutes so you can understand what was written versus what you wish was written.

_________________________
I'm the slickest they isI'm the quickest they isDid I say I'm the slickest they is?

There is also some speculation that Adidas' college sponsorships are in danger. Louisville's deal is the sixth-largest in college sports and was the largest Adidas had signed until its most recent with the University of Kansas. Kansas, which has not been implicated in the scandal, has said it is monitoring Gatto's charges. Kansas' deal is for $191 million over 14 years, and it ranks as the fourth-largest.

Dennis GreenBusiness Insider

Adidas has been focusing on North America. Now that's in jeopardy.

The implication of one of Adidas' head marketing execs in a college basketball bribery scandal couldn't have come at a worse time for the German sportswear company.

Jim Gatto, the head of marketing for Adidas' basketball division, is accused of using the company's money to pay college-bound players to ensure they went to Adidas-sponsored schools and signed deals with Adidas when they went to the NBA. The investigation was led by the Department of Justice and the FBI.

Adidas has reoriented its entire business around North America, the largest sportswear market in the world, changing nearly everything — from manufacturing to product conception and design — to cater to North American tastes. The company has moved closer to the customer, and the brand is now trying to create exactly what the customer wants when they want it.

This approach has borne fruit, and the company has seen some success. It now sells more shoes in the US than Nike's Jordan subsidiary, and it has doubled its US market share, to 11%. Adidas has also posted growth figures in the range of 20% to 30% for North America in all earnings reports this year. The company's goal is to reach $5.9 billion in sales by 2020.

But now, all those inroads in America could be in jeopardy. Though the complaint did not mention Adidas by name, the implication of the company — even the mention of Adidas next to "college basketball bribery" — could be a setback for its efforts.

Adidas said in a statement on Monday that it was not aware of the scandal before the charges were brought and that was launching its own investigation.

"We became aware yesterday of the allegations and intend to cooperate with the relevant authorities," an Adidas representative told Business Insider on Wednesday. "The employee has been put on administrative leave, and the company has engaged outside counsel to conduct a thorough investigation. In all aspects of our business, Adidas is committed to compliance and ethical business practices."

There is also some speculation that Adidas' college sponsorships are in danger. The Courier-Journal reported that it was unclear what would happen with the company's $160 million sponsorship deal with the University of Louisville, which was implicated in the investigation, though the complaint did not mention it by name. The deal is set to last 10 years starting in July 2018.

Gatto and others are accused of conspiring to pay $100,000 to the family of a student (who was not named in the complaint but is most likely Brian Bowen) in exchange for his playing at a public research university in Kentucky (presumed to be Louisville).

The school on Wednesday put its head men's basketball coach on indefinite unpaid administrative leave.

Louisville's deal is the sixth-largest in college sports and was the largest Adidas had signed until its most recent with the University of Kansas. Kansas, which has not been implicated in the scandal, has said it is monitoring Gatto's charges. Kansas' deal is for $191 million over 14 years, and it ranks as the fourth-largest.

Part of the reason for Adidas' newfound success is its evolved reputation. It has courted fashion trendsetters and lifestyle gurus to help turn it into a "cool" brand. If the scandal grows, it's not hard to see how that reputation could vanish.

Edited by jahawker2004 (09/30/1708:27 PM)

_________________________"Those Places (UNC, UCLA) Are Great, But There's No Place Like Kansas"---Larry Brown to Bill Self.

One could only hope that Self will get ousted because of this. It is pretty clear that the ruralite love affair with this loser is not going to subside anytime soon.

Ousted for not doing anything wrong? Just because we use Adidas doesn't mean we cheat.

lol

You are really good at making up your own stories in your head. Read what I wrote again and try to keep the replays of catching that frog by the railroad tracks when you were 7 silent for a few minutes so you can understand what was written versus what you wish was written.

LOL!

_________________________
KU Coach Naismith invented the game so you get to play it.